


Aquariumstuck Prompt

by lexitehrexi



Category: Homestuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-13 03:06:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16884477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexitehrexi/pseuds/lexitehrexi
Summary: John starts his first day at the local aquarium





	Aquariumstuck Prompt

**Author's Note:**

> Posted on my tumblr in 2013 but since that site is going to shit, I'm backing my fics up here <3

It was just an ordinary day for John. He woke up. Ate breakfast. Went to school. Came home. The usual. The only thing that wasn’t usual, was that he was on his way to his new job at the Maple Valley Aquarium. He’d finally been hired. Sure it was eight bucks an hour, from 4 to 9, but hey, it was a job. He was a day security guard trainee.

He followed his boss around, memorizing where everything was, all the exits, and all the valuable exhibits. He asked about the door where it said personnel only, but his boss brushed the question off and continued to talk. John stared at the door for a moment, and continued on.

The first week was more of a trial period, testing John to see if he would be able to handle it. He passed with flying colors since he wasn’t like the normal riff raff in the area.

He woke up that morning and he didn’t feel well. He got up and walked to his bathroom and started to brush his teeth. He thought about his job and how today was his first solo day. He hoped nothing would go wrong. He really didn’t feel like getting fired.

He rinsed his tooth brush and his mouth out. The sink splashed him and the floor. He dried his face with a towel and lazily wiped the floor. As he went to leave, he slipped on the slick floor and tripped out the door, falling down the stairs, in what seemed like slow motion.

He laid at the bottom of the stairs for a second, stunned. He started to move slowly, making sure nothing was broken. He stood up. Only thing broken was his glasses. He sighed. It was going to be a long day.

John did his normal patrol. First the jellyfish room, then the seals, then the turtles. It was rather boring. Not many people visited the aquarium, it was usually quiet. John usually did a few rounds, and would take a twenty minute break. He would think of things to talk about with his friends. What new games were coming out the next month with Dave, scientific conversations with Rose, and just cheerful banter with Jade. He also thought of his dad. Hopefully not coming home to another cake would be nice. Too much cake can really make you sick.

John got up and decided to start up his rounds again. He walked slowly, hands in his pockets. He stopped by the jelly fish ring and admired them. They slowly made their way around the ring, and followed the same swimming pattern before. He wondered what it would be like to touch one, but he decided against it since they have stingers for tentacles.

He walked by the personnel door. Curious, he walked over to it and knocked. No answer. He put his ear to the door and listened. It sounded like more tanks on the other side. Why would he not be allowed to guard more tanks? Surely they were just spares. Maybe he should take a peek. He looked around. The cameras weren’t facing the door. No other gaurds were on duty for another hour. John inhaled and exhaled. He turned the knob and the door opened. He quickly went in and shut it behind him.

He looked around. No one was in there. It seemed like another part of the aquarium, beside the fact that there was an enormous tank in there. What was it used for? Ten great whites? He sighed frustrated. Wow. All for nothing. What if someone caught him? He would be fired for sure.

He walked over to the tank. Maybe the thing inside it was hiding? He put his face to the glass. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. He lightly banged his head on the glass.

“What is the point of this stupid room!”

“Excuse me! Please don’t bang your )(ead on t)(e tank!”

John whipped his head up and looked around. There’s was no one there. He began to think he was going crazy.

“Who said that?” John squinted his eyes, maybe they were hiding? That’s stupid, why would they hide.

“I said it! In t)(e tank!”

John looked into the tank. Was someone in the tank? Great. The jig was up. He’d barely had this job for a week. He was preparing to face the watery music.

He looked around the tank. Where were they?

“Over )(ere!” The voice came from the right end of the tank. He walked over and looked.

Out came what seemed to look like a mermaid, but with more tentacles. The mermaid thing came up to the glass. It appeared female. She had horn like things coming out of her head. They looked like candy corn. She was wearing what looked like a tiara, and had bangles around her wrists. Did mermaids have wrists? Yeah, yeah they did, he decided. She was beautiful. Her eyes were a piercing dusted yellow. She put her hand on the glass, where his hand was.

“)(ello! My name is Feferi!” She said. John took a minute to register she was speaking. He shook his head.

“You’re a…” He trailed off. He didn’t know what to say. He was speechless. An actual mermaid? Boy he couldn’t wait to tell Jade!

“Yes, a mermaid. Well… an octo-mermaid.” She twirled around the tank. John rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. His eyes refocused. Yep, still there.

“H-how…” He managed to say.

“It’s a reely long story…” She replied. She smiled at him. She swam around the tank, giggling. “I can’t believe I finally met anot)(er )(uman! Glub, glub, glub!”

“Another? How many have you met?” He asked curiously.

“Well t)(ere’s ot)(ers w)(o come in to feed us and- “

“There’s more of you?” John began to look around the tank. More of them? This was the reason they didn’t want him back here.

“Yes! Glub, glub, glub! T)(ey’re )(iding t)(oug)(. T)(ey get scared easily. I’ll try to get Eridan out.” She swam to another part of the tank, and seemed to grab a hold of something. “Come on! You cod a meet t)(e )(uman!”

She pulled what seemed to be another mermaid, but this one looked more male. His bottom was like a pyjama shark. His horns were like the aquarius sign.

They swam over to the glass and Feferi pushed the other in front of her.

“T)(is is my frond, Eridan!” She poked him to try to get him to speak. She leaned up to his ear and said, “Speak cod damnit!” The male sighed.

“Hi, I’m Eridan.” He kind of rolled his eyes. “There? Happy?” He swam back to his little cave. Feferi rolled her eyes back and went back up to the glass towards John.

“Sorry )(e’s such a guppy. )(e doesn’t reely like )(umans.” She swished her tentacles back and forth.

“Oh, why is that?” John admired her tentacles, they looked soft.

“W)(ale… T)(ey’re t)(e reason we’re in )(ere… T)(ey took us from our island and refuse to let us go )(ome…” She frowned a bit, her fins sinking down with despair.

John sighed. He knew it was going to be a long day.


End file.
